


Star Light, Star Bright

by hinotoriii



Series: Oscar Trevelyan [18]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, M/M, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:49:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hinotoriii/pseuds/hinotoriii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oscar Trevelyan never expected he'd become a father, especially not with the danger his life now leads. Nor did Dorian expect he would become one either. Yet small orphaned girl Mae changes those thoughts, especially once she's managed to worm her way deeply into both of their hearts. </p><p>This is a series of stories exploring the family of Oscar Trevelyan, Dorian Pavus, and their daughter Mae Trevelyan. It starts a year and a half after the events of the main Inquisition timeline. (so, half a year before Trespasser).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star Light, Star Bright

**Author's Note:**

>   
> _“He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a million years.”_  
>  \- Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

He's busy harvesting herbs the first time it happens.  
  
Oscar sits upon the grass, hands and plain, beige outfit slightly muddy as he plants a new batch of elfroot seeds and collects a selection from those which are ready for use. He needs to start crafting a new selection of potions in time for when the Chargers set out on their next expedition, and nothing seems to suit better than a quiet afternoon to begin the long task within Skyhold's garden.  
  
As he works however Oscar feels a strange sensation as the hairs at the back of his neck begin to prickle, the way in which they would when one is being watched. Yet whenever he discreetly scans his eyes behind or around him, the others also present appear to be carried away with deep conversations or involved in whatever book it is that they're reading. At first he begins to believe that there's nothing, that the feeling is just lingering for some reason, until he quickly discovers that isn't the case at all.  
  
He glances up quickly from his work, using the back of his marked hand to wipe away the few beads of sweat which have gathered upon his brow. As he does Oscar suddenly stops, noticing how a small head of hair quickly disappears from view behind the stone wall separating them. Resting upon the small wall however remains two small hands pressed down against it, hands that are much too small to belong to an adult.  
  
Oscar already thinks he knows where his visitor has come from, but what he doesn't understand is _how_.   
  
"To the young Lord or Lady currently hiding from me," he says, rubbing his dirt covered hands over his knees once more. "Please be so kind as to show me thy face."  
  
He waits, watching as the child hesitates now that they've been discovered. A few moments pass before Oscar tilts his head to one side, dropping the feigned formality his words had previously held.  
  
"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt or shout at you, I promise."  
  
He waits again, until eventually his guest emerges from their hiding spot and appears in the nearby archway.  
  
The child is a girl, one who cannot be much older than five or six in age. The clothes she wears are the same which she had worn when first brought to Skyhold a few days ago, back when Cullen's soldiers had helped to find a space for all the orphans who had been brought in from a village which had been attacked by a high dragon nesting in the area. Oscar had already asked Josephine to push her contacts for new clothes for all the children, yet they still had not arrived at the keep.  
  
Her hair is shoulder length and still slightly messy, the colour reminiscent to the rich brown of a chestnuts. As Oscar watches her with a warm and inviting smile he notices from her posture that she still appears worried, and even with the distance still between them he can see the way the girl bites at her bottom lip nervously.  
  
"There you are," Oscar eventually says, leaning back on his heels as he continues to smile at his guest. "I thought you'd be playing with the other children, but it seems you'd rather explore. Does anyone know you're here?"  
  
The girl doesn't respond, but the way she manages to avoid his gaze gives Oscar answer enough. He breathes out a small, barely there sigh, shifting his position so that he is no longer kneeling and can instead rest an arm on his knee.  
  
"I understand. But you really shouldn't do that, you know? You'll make people worry about you." Oscar pauses, patting at a space next to him on the ground. "Come and sit here. At least that way I'll know where you are when one of the others inevitably come looking for you. Don't worry though. I may be the Inquisitor, but I'm secretly not all that big and scary as I look."  
  
Silently, the girl starts to do as she's told. Her footsteps are slow at first, still cautious as she wonders if she's in trouble or not, but Oscar keeps his smile on his face in a hope to reassure her that all is well.  
  
"There," he says once the girl is sitting next to him cross-legged. "That's better than sitting behind the stone now, isn't it?"  
  
The girl seems to think for a long second, but then decides on a nod for her answer. Oscar's smile grows at the sight.  
  
"Nice to see you agree with me. Now, will you let me know what your name is?"  
  
Oscar quickly considers to himself how it is very likely the girl still won't say anything, especially as she sits quietly to herself after being spoken to. He's just about to say something else when he picks up on how the girls lips move, forming a quiet, still tentative response.  
  
"Maeah."  
  
"Maeah?" He asks again, catching how again the girl -- Maeah -- nods. "That's a very pretty name. It suits you."  
  
Barely noticeable, yet still present all the same, Oscar picks up on how Maeah slightly smiles at the compliment.  
  
"Ma and Pa used to call me Mae," she answers, her voice shaking with both her lingering worry and the sadness over what had befallen her parents. Oscar nods, his heart clenching as he thinks about the kind of pain the girl beside him is still likely in. It is not something which can be fixed, nor would Oscar even want to attempt or believe that he could, but with it being something still so fresh and raw he hopes he can someway make things seem a little bit brighter for all the children affected. It is why he is so adamant to make sure they all find new and loving homes, but until that happens he can only act in small ways to help.  
  
"Well then, Mae. You've found me whilst in the middle of some highly important work, which I could possibly use some help with. Tell me, do you like plants?"  
  
Mae lifts her head to look back up at Oscar, perking up a little at the question. She nods, humming her agreement as she does so.  
  
"Mhm," She replies, turning her attention towards the various potted plants Oscar has been tending to. Oscar notices the way she looks at them, wondering if perhaps the reason she had come to the gardens in the first place was because of the various flowers and shrubbery littered around. He wouldn't blame her if it was, he quite liked the garden for it's peacefulness himself.  
  
"That's certainly useful. Would you like to plant something yourself, perhaps?"  
  
He didn't need anything else planted, not really, but as Oscar watches how Mae nods just a bit more enthusiastically than before he realises that there's no harm in one more plant. Especially not if it makes such a lovely and somewhat shy young girl happy.  
  
"Alright, let me see..." Oscar leans over to pull the last, dirt filled pot closer towards them both. It was clean of any seeds, and Oscar had only been keeping it as a spare should it be needed. By the selection of items he kept by his other side he begins to look through what seeds he's collected, until finding some which he thinks Mae would enjoy seeing once they were able to bloom.  
  
"Here we go," he says, turning back to the girl who's watching him with interest. "Hold open your hands and cup them together. Yes, like that."  
  
He lets the selection of seeds he holds fall into Mae's hands, her hands moving more protectively over them once they're all there. Oscar returns the pot of dirt and starts to create a bed for where the seeds will fall into. Once he's done he nods to Mae, indicating for her to let the seeds fall into place there.  
  
"What are we planting?" He hears her ask. Another smile pulls at his lips as he helps Mae start to properly gather the dirt over the seeds.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a plant called Crystal Grace?" He questions, noting how it is she shakes her head in answer. "It's rather rare, so you may not have. But it's a flower, you see? When it blooms, it's colouring is blue, just like that of the sky. But it's shaped a little oddly from usual flowers, as it looks ... well. Like a crystal."  
  
"Wow," Mae breathes, looking up at Oscar with wide eyes. "Will I get to see it?"  
  
"Perhaps," Oscar replies, sitting back once more now the seeds have been planted. "If we haven't found you a new home before then. But if you like, I can find a picture of it from one of the books in our library here for you. Usually, a very important friend of mine helps me when I’m looking for a certain book to research something from, but he's very busy overseas at the moment. Perhaps even without him here I can find it and we can read about the flower together at some point. Would you like that?"

“Very much so. Oh please!” Mae answers, a growing excitement blooming within her at the very idea.

“Good. Then it's decided.”

Oscar, pleased to see that he’s managed to give the girl something to look forward to, begins to rise to his feet. He gathers the seeds, supplies and herbs he’s collected together, his work in the gardens now complete for the time being. Once on his feet he turns back to Mae, signalling with his head that she should follow suit.

“Come on, up on your feet once more. I’ll guide you back to the others before there’s a chance for a search party being sent out to look for you.”

Mae does as she’s told, moving to stand close next to Oscar’s side. Once again he smiles down at her before they begin to leave the gardens, noting how Mae’s eyes still scan at the strange and unusual environment around her. He wonders if Skyhold’s keep is daunting to her and the other children, or if it’s something that they’d imagined from the stories their parents would once read to them at night. Regardless of what thoughts they may carry about where they’re staying for now Oscar expects it’ll be something they’ll eventually warm to, at least until suitable new homes and families are found for them all.

Until then, all he can do is his very best to make sure they feel safe and welcome.


End file.
